When an insured party suffers an insured event (i.e., a loss) the insuring party must typically process a corresponding active insurance claim. This typically entails the creation of the claim, assignment of the claim to one or more entities to effect processing of the claim, a gathering of relevant facts, coverage analysis, and the making of a claim payment to or on behalf of the insured party, to name but a few of the more important defining activities. It is typically in the interests of all concerned that such processing occur in as rapid a manner as possible, thus rendering the insured whole with as little delay as possible while also reducing overhead requirements and corresponding expense for the insuring party.
Computer-based insurance claim processing systems exist, at least in part, to address such needs. Many of these systems serve to provide centralized control and guidance with respect to initiating insurance claims, assigning various claims processing tasks, and effecting payments to the insured. At least some of these systems go further and provide additional services and capabilities. For example, it is known to leverage the capability of such a system to aid in automatically facilitating best practices across a large number of claims adjusters working tens of thousands of active claims.
Notwithstanding significant advances provided by computer-based insurance claim processing systems, some issues yet remain. There are times, for example, when a given insurance company might wish to handle a number of claims as a group. Such a need can arise in response to various circumstances. As one example, it may be helpful to commonly treat all claims as stem from a common insured event (such as damage to various parties owing to a single storm). As a different example, it may be helpful to commonly treat all claims as relate to a legal proceeding. As a third example, it may be helpful to commonly treat multiple claims that are related by shared financial transactions, as when a single large claim is split up into multiple claims that are to be paid from separate accounts. As a fourth example, it may be helpful to commonly treat multiple claims that arise from the same event, but which apply to different financial reporting periods.
There are also instances when the claims are not being formally handled as a group but where some relationship among them is nevertheless of interest. For example, one might link claims relating to similar accidents at a similar employer, even if one claim has already been settled and these claims are not necessarily the same “event”—they are, however, similar enough that an adjuster would want to look at the other claims as a valid point of reference.
Present attempts to address such a need essentially track pre-computer-based insurance claim processing system solutions; to establish such a group, the processing entity will annotate each and every claim to be grouped in some manner to thereby both identify and establish the group itself. This approach, however, presents numerous problems. It tends to be labor intensive and prone to error. Any given solution along these lines tends, ultimately, to be relatively inflexible in form and practice. This, in turn, often tends to stymie and/or inhibit use of the capability, thereby leaving the enterprise in much the same situation as prevailed prior to incorporating such an approach.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions and/or relative positioning of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. Also, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of the present invention. It will further be appreciated that certain actions and/or steps may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required. It will also be understood that the terms and expressions used herein have the ordinary meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions with respect to their corresponding respective areas of inquiry and study except where specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein.